Superman, We Hardly Knew Ye – Comics Cover Price

Superman finally comes into his own in this week's CCP! If only DC wasn't planning to kill him off if a few short weeks...again.

By: Derek Ng

Let’s not beat around the bush, comics are getting expensive. With so many new issues, epic sagas, and never-ending disasters, my wallet can only take so much. Cover Price is a weekly comic review with the set budget of $15. I mostly pick my choices based on cover, price, and hype. Which company suckered me into buying their issues this week? Were the issues I picked up worth the $15 cut? Were the issues you picked up worth your money?

4/6/16 C.C.P. Reviews:

Black Panther #1 – $3.99

Old Man Logan #4 – $3.99

Superman #51 – $4.99

Black Panther #1

Writers: Ta-Nehisi Coates | Artists: Brian Stelfreeze

Captain America: Civil War is coming out soon and there are 3 reasons to get hyped. 1) Spider-man. 2) The number of heroes that are going to appear in this movie. 3) Black Panther makes his debut. Now if you’ve seen any of the trailers, you know that Black Panther looks like an absolute bad-ass and you’re going to want to read some comics about him. Well Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze have you covered. Black Panther #1 is a fantastic start to a new series. Ta-Nehisi Coates adds a new level of realism and authenticity to Wakanda by adding elements of the country’s rich heritage and justice system throughout the plot. Black Panther was always interesting because he thinks about his country and people more than anything else. He’s a king that only wants the best for his country. So to see Black Panther have to deal with politics and the growing frustrations of his people is really interesting. How will Black Panther deal with the upcoming political revolution? Brian Stelfreeze also uses his artistic abilities to showcase how advanced Wakada is beyond the typical landscape. This book is new-reader friendly and a true complete package. Get ready for the movie and go pick up Black Panther #1.

Old Man Logan #4

Writers: Jeff Lemire | Artists: Andrea Sorrentino

When Old Man Logan returned as a Secret Wars tie-in, I had extremely high expectations that were eventually met with disappointment. However, since Jeff Lemire has taken over the series, my hope has gradually been restored. The idea that Logan is acting like the Punisher and hunting down everyone that screwed up his future is an awesome plot. And Jeff Lemire also places slight hints of Logan’s life with his family along with his interactions with all the heroes he thought were dead. The plot is exactly what I wanted when I heard Old Man Logan had returned. In this issue, Logan battles Old Steve Rogers and comes face to face with the hard truth. This is not his universe or his past and he doesn’t care at all. And what can be said about Andrea Sorrentino…oh man. Marvel really has an ace with Andrea. His work and layouts are the best in the business right now. This is my favorite looking book currently on the stands. You will NOT be disappointed by the art of Old Man Logan. You could rip out each page and hang it on your wall as a poster. Andrea Sorrentino’s art works absolutely perfect with the gritty and rough nature of this comic. This series is a buy and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. Wolverine is dead (still!)…long live Old Man Logan.

Superman #51

Writers: Peter Tomasi | Artists: Mikel Janin

Why New 52 Superman? Why do you have to leave when I was just getting to know you? Superman #51 is the start of a new arc with writer Peter Tomasi and artist Mikel Janin. If you’ve been reading DC Comics, you may be confused as to why it seems like there are 3 different Supermans (Supermen?). Justice League Superman has weird black and white god powers, Justice League of America’s Superman is fighting a Krytonian God, and the main series Superman lost his powers for a good 3 months. I applaud Tomasi because the first thing he (tries to) address is DC’s messed up continuity. All of DC’s recent events have lead to New 52 Superman’s growth and the weakening of his body. Once again, DC is trying to get rid of all the problems they can’t solve. There has been a lot of disconnect between fans with the New 52 Superman. He’s much more inexperienced, emotional, and darker than his pre-52 counterpart. I recall a line written by Greg Pak where Superman claimed that with his powers, every time something bad happened, it was his fault for not preventing it. And I loved this element of guilt and layer added to his character. I actually appreciated the New 52 Superman because even though DC was trying to make him more relatable, he was still Superman. He was still trying to do the right thing and save as many people as he could. Superman, at his core, is someone who does the right thing because he can and wants to. Peter Tomasi understands this. Clark’s greatest frustration with his growing weakness is his inability to save as many people as he knows he can. Even though the New 52 Superman is inexperienced, he’s learning and becoming the hero he was destined to be. But before he can really shine, DC Comics seems to be moving to replace him with their Rebirth event. And even knowing this, I still really enjoy this comic. This is one of the best starts to an arc the New 52 Superman series has had. It’s emotional, heartfelt, and action-packed…exactly what a Superman comic should be. With Mikel Janin on the pencils, this book also receives a more serious tone. The style is much more realistic and grounded, instead of cartoonish with bombastic action. Superman isn’t stopping any world-destroying meteors in this issue. He’s just trying to live out the rest of his life. I’m so sad that New 52 Superman is getting good at issue 51. It’s absolutely bittersweet and should be a buy for that reason alone. New 52 Superman needs some love.

Panel of the Week:

There are many more comics released by DC and Marvel this week. I wish I could read them all but my wallet can only take so much. What did you read this week? Which issues would you put on your $15 budget this week? Remember to read and buy what you want and support your favorite writers and artists!

Derek is comic book fan like none other. You can follow him on Twitter.